All Tumeka Tripp ever wanted to do was teach. When she accepted her first position at Greensboro Academy in 1999 that dream came true. And it all started with a newspaper ad for a substitute teacher.
Within a week of applying she received a phone call that would change everything.
“The principal asked me, ‘Would you like to be a third-grade teacher?’” Tripp recalled with a laugh. “And I said, ‘What? Yes, absolutely.’”
That phone call began her 26-year teaching career at National Heritage Academies® (NHA) all of it spent at Greensboro as a third-grade teacher.
For Tripp, third grade represents an important moment in a child’s development.
“They’re super impressionable,” she said. “They listen closely to everything you say.”
At the same time, students begin building independence and responsibility, a balance she finds rewarding.
“They’re learning to grow up a little. They say the funniest and smartest things, and they’re quick to notice when someone needs encouragement.
With every new class, Tripp says she becomes a teacher, a mentor, and sometimes a mother figure.
“I’m not a mother but every year I’m mother to about 28 children.”
Growing With NHA
When Tripp began teaching, she was still working toward her certification. NHA helped support that journey by providing tutoring to help her prepare for her licensing exams.
The investment made a lasting impression.
“They cared enough about me to help me succeed. They gave me the support I needed.”
Mentorship from fellow educators and school leaders also helped guide her through the early stages of her career.
“I had mentors who walked me through everything the dos and don’ts, how to work smarter, how to stay encouraged.”
Over time, Tripp says those professional relationships evolved into something deeper.
“It really became like family.”
Teaching Character Alongside Academics
For Tripp, one of the most meaningful aspects of teaching at an NHA school is the emphasis on Moral Focus™.
“The goal isn’t just to help students read and do math. It’s to help them become good people.”
She often describes her role using three words: encourage, equip, and inspire.
Through lessons on compassion, respect, integrity, and other Moral Focus™ virtues, she helps students understand how their actions affect others and how they can be positive examples in their communities.
“We want them to take those lessons outside the classroom. We want them to be smart, but we also want them to be kind, compassionate, and prepared for the world.”
After more than 25 years in the classroom, Tripp says the greatest reward from teaching came as a surprise to her.
She expected to pour everything into her students.
What she didn’t expect was how much they would pour back.
“I knew I would be giving to them, but I didn’t know how much they would give to me.”
The hugs, the encouragement, the small acts of kindness have helped sustain her through the years.
“It’s been one of the greatest blessings of my life.”
Fun Fact
Students know Tripp as an enthusiastic teacher, but many don’t know about her hidden talent.
Before becoming an educator, she sang in the choir at her church. And through the encouragement of her father who was also the paster, she occasionally performed solos.
“I don’t do it much anymore,” she said with a smile. “But I can still hold a tune.”
Congratulations on 26 years Tumeka!
About Greensboro Academy
Greensboro Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Greensboro, North Carolina, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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